The CPO Academy site has information about the CG CPO. Very interesting information available there. An excerpt from one of the articles posted there concerning "who was first" .

"National Archives Reveals Historical First Chiefs
CWO Guy Cashman, USCG

Who was actually promoted to Chief on May 18th, 1920 ?

General Order No. 43 was the original message that advanced a select few individuals to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. However, these shipmates have remained nameless to most of us. The historical published records (U. S. Coast Guard Record of Movements 1790-1933) of a ship's crew include only the Officers and Chief Warrant Officers. Pay records have been recorded on everything from three by five index cards to ledgers and are stored in several locations throughout the country. The Coast Guard Historian's Office has no records of enlisted members who were promoted while assigned to the numerous vessels, lighthouses, and life-saving stations in service during the 1920's.

Aside from the various shore stations, the U.S. Coast Guard had 129 vessels and 1 air station on May 18th, 1920. Which ships or units rated a Chief is still being researched. Regardless, only 5 vessels (Cutters Algonquin, Ossippee, Morrill, Earp and Tybee) had log transcripts, muster rolls or payroll records still intact at the National Archives in Washington, D. C. On four of those cutters, eight petty officers were identified as being promoted to Chief. They were:

USCGC Algonquin Ship's muster role, identifies rate & rank.
CGM (Chief Gunners Mate) A. Wold
CEM (Chief Electricians Mate) R. F. Dibb
CMM (Chief Machinist Mate) G. H. Davis

USCGC Earp Ship's log transcript, General Order #43, transfers, underway entries.
CBM (Chief Boatswain's Mate) S. Christiansen
CMM F. A. Kleindt
CGM John Ask

USCGC Tybee Ship's log transcript, promotions from General Order #43.
CBM John Starr

USCGC Ossipee Ship's muster role, annotates promotion endorsement.
CMM W. W. DeWever .............."

CPO Academy website at Petaluma Training Center.

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From todays CGHQ website, a nice bit of information.

1939 - On 12 May 1939, Boatswain's Mate First Class Clarence Samuels was appointed as a Chief Photographer's Mate (Acting), becoming the first African-American chief petty officer, the first African-American photographer in the Coast Guard and only the second Coast Guardsman to serve in that rating up to that point.

But from the CG historian website, another take on Clarence Samuels,

For those who served with him during his 27 years in the Coast Guard, memories vary as to kind and extent of their association with Clarence Samuels, but history will remember him because of his color, for he managed to rack up several firsts as a black Coast Guardsman.

A Panamanian by birth, he was born on June 11, 1900 at Bohio, Panama. When LCDR C.F. Howell, USCG, swore him in as a Seaman 2nd Class on July 16, 1920 aboard the USCGC Earp at Balboa Canal Zone, he was described on his enlistment papers as 5' 2" tall, 123 pounds, unmarried, citizenship-alien, occupation-sailor, and no previous military experience. Within nine years, he advanced to the rate of Chief Quartermaster, receiving that promotion on 10 October 1929 [thereby becoming the first African-American Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard].

While searching for some other information, ran across this photograph in a series showing blacks in the CG. It can be seen on the CG Historians website well blown up, and there is no doubting the grade. Who was he ????


http://www.uscg.mil/history/img/YoconaCrew_1925.jpg

The left arm ratings at that timeframe. The specialty marks are skewed down a bit. Not sure who'll come up with a rating. I wonder if CGHQ would maintain crew lists from that time ???

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Oh great. 2 weeks AFTER CCTI, LOL.

quote:

Originally posted by obie309:
Oh great. 2 weeks AFTER CCTI, LOL.

????? I don't understand ?????

The Rating looks like Pharmacist's Mate. Clarence Samuels is credited as being the first black CPO as a Photographer's Mate.

Masters Mate, one of the CTI tasks was naming the first CG CPO.

Thanx Chief and Congrats,

If it is none of those named in the first post, that would be a real nice bit of historical info to know. Do they have a name and any backround info on the first CPO ???

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Got a nice note back from the CG Historians office this morning. They are aware of the mystery and trying to locate records if they exist. Will keep posted if the identity of the CPO can be solved .

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Over on another site they are asking a question concerning the Chief's Creed, which was read at the end of the old CPO Initiation.

Basically, they are looking for a 1945 version. When these subjects come up, seems nobody ever publishes an answer to the question. It would be interesting if such a thing went back that far. My gut feeling is that it would be a late 1950s or early 1960s sort of thing. I cannot find much early information on the initiation being much more than a local unit "welcome to the quarters" sort of thing.

So then semi-geezers, if you got one of those fancy certificates read at your ritual, what was the date. Maybe we can track down how long such a thing as the Chiefs Creed has been around.

From 1974
" During the course of this day, you have been caused to suffer indignities, to experience humiliations. This you have accomplished with rare good grace and therefore, we now believe it fitting to explain to you why this was done. There was no intent, no desire, to demean. Pointless as it may have seemed to you, there was a valid, time-honored reason behind every single deed, behind each pointed barb. " .....

Heard it in March 1974. Any earlier ???

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quote:

If it is none of those named in the first post, that would be a real nice bit of historical info to know. Do they have a name and any backround info on the first CPO ???

Masters,

I had the same task as obie309. This is what I used from the FAQ section of the CPO:

"Although 18 May 1920 is acknowledged as the day the grade of Chief Petty Officer was authorized, who the first Coast Guardsman to attain that grade has not been determined. Therefore, no particular individual can be considered the first Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard."

quote:

My gut feeling is that it would be a late 1950s or early 1960s sort of thing. I cannot find much early information on the initiation being much more than a local unit "welcome to the quarters" sort of thing.

I think you're right on with that. While I am nowhere near your historical sluething, I did have to research the history of the Charge Book and it looks like the precurser to the modern day CPO Initiation/ Indoctrination began to take shape in the timeframe you are suggesting.

And I must add, hearing the Chief's Creed at the end of Rights of Passage was goosebump inducing!

MM;
You may find this interesting.

At last Spring's CCTI here in DC that I ran, one of the PCPOs father, a retired USN MCPO came to the court proceedings. I changed the script for the day to have the dad/MCPO read the Chief's Creed instead of the original person planned. After we were done, he came over and thanked me profously and then commented to the effect "...you know, as I was reading this, I flashed back to my CCTI more than 30 years ago and it seemed it is almost identical."

quote:

"...you know, as I was reading this, I flashed back to my CCTI more than 30 years ago and it seemed it is almost identical."

Very interesting observation indeed. A couple of years ago, on this site, the subject of CCTI came up from timt to time. It was always the same 'old timers screwed it up and we almost lost it, new had to fix it'. The typical back and forth old arguments.

The general line was always here say about what the old initiation process entailed. A lot of 'wild accusations' etc. etc. Since that day is nothing like the "old" day, I went along and described just what the old initiation generally entailed. As it no longer existed, it would maybe shed some light on just what was supposedly so bad..

Cripes, the general active duty side that chimes in here pretty much accused me of being a liar and full of ****. The difference was the initiation was accomplished in one day, then back to work.

I officiated at a number of Boston initiations in the 1970s, and they followed the same script. Even did one with the USN in Rota, Spain. They asked me to stay on the bench thru theirs also. Both the same procedure. In line with the MCPON guidelines. No idea what they did in the later 1980s.

That the USN MCPO noted a similarity from 30 yrs ago kind of makes me think that not so much has changed. The E-10s that chastized the 'old system' were generally blowing smoketowards the front office. Those active duty E-7 ~ E-9s that implied I was a lying sack of ****, well back at 'em.

Sorry for the rant, has been a chafing point since that time.

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quote:

That the USN MCPO noted a similarity from 30 yrs ago kind of makes me think that not so much has changed.

Let me just make sure I am clear - the words in the "Chief's Charge" had not changed that much. How we teach the lessons discussed have changed immensely. It is a heck of a lot harder now to teach the lesson of humility now, since the boundary lines are much more clearly drawn.

quote:

Cripes, the general active duty side that chimes in here pretty much accused me of being a liar and full of ****.

I just call you a sailor! But true sailors might not see too much of a difference in those two!

More tidbits for those individuals that were looking into the Chiefs Creed and its earliest form.

From talking with some old hands, the formalized ritual CPO initiation of old may be related to the formation of the Chief Petty Officers Association, 40 years ago. The CG CPO Creed is/was borrowed from the USN Chiefs Creed which was probably from the same mid to late 1960s.

The general consensus so far is that CPO 'initiation' wasn't much more than a local chiefs quarters breaking in a new member to the quarters. No real set ritual or proceedings.

When the CPOA was established, that seems to be about the same time that the CG CPO Initiation became a more formalized big scale production. One stated that it almost seemed to be tied to building membership in the organization. Will keep advised as more recollections become available. This is getting pretty interesting.